Blood Obsidian

Issue 45

Hope falls silently in the dark ... - Part 3

The Bastion transporter dropped Caitlyn and Chief Watson on the roof of the first facility, proving, yet again, that Kyle had played a joke on her before. A joke that may well have led to Aunt Mary getting taken by Fiend. Had Caitlyn not had to make her way home, maybe she would have arrived in time to stop the super-villain in his tracks? Maybe.

As Chief Watson looked over the edge of the one-story building, Caitlyn looked around, trying not to blame Kyle. He wasn't to know Fiend would attack and, if she allowed herself to think through the fraught visions passing through her mind, she'd admit it looked as though the attack had happened some time before she arrived.

A flat, trap door sat upon the roof, giving maintenance a way up and, as she tore it from its hinges, she made Chief Watson spin around, drawing his pistol. She had no time for subtleties, not when Aunt Mary and Alaina's lives were at stake. She tossed the trap door aside, looking down into the darkness of the facility as Chief Watson came to her side.

"By the book, I said. This isn't by the book!" He, too, looked down through the newly created hole. "Even if you catch Alden, now, the lawyers would tear apart any case we have."

"Probable cause." Without an ounce of dignity for the man, she lifted him up, taking him to the edge of the building. "You came later, heard a disturbance and entered to make sure no-one was in danger."

He began to protest, but a line of the suit material curled around him and she lowered him to the ground below. She didn't wait to hear him shout in protest, turning back to the hole and leaping down, into the darkness. The suit responded to her thoughts, gave her the use of the green-tinged night vision and she glared around, crouched, ready for any incoming attack.

When none came, she moved to a wall, throwing the light switch and illuminating her surroundings. It was another lair. A place where Fiend had stashed yet more of his gadgets and weapons. More of those flying platforms, more of the adapted grenades, the grim smiling face on the surfaces taunting her. There were flat, metal things, like ninja stars, but in the shape of a gargoyle in flight.

A crash informed her that Chief Watson had made his way inside and she waited for him to appear, pistol in hand, sweeping it toward every part of the room. There was something he had to see. Something that Caitlyn had not expected, attached to one wall. A board, with several pictures attached, papers detailing their locations and their homes. Caitlyn only recognised four of them. Aunt Mary and Alaina, and pictures of Caitlyn as Blood Obsidian and Kyle as Pho-Boy.

"Well, he thinks Pho-Boy is dead. Look, the big red cross gives that away." Watson moved to the board, side-stepping as he looked at each picture in turn. "You're the main target, but, I think only for now. Alden has plans."

"That would explain why he's secreted away so many of these stashes. He's in this for the long haul." Try as she might, she had no idea who the others were, but her eyes lingered on the photographs of Aunt Mary and Alaina. "Who are these dudes?"

"Board members of Ald-Tech. Pains in the ass for any CEO that wants absolute control of a company." From his pockets, Chief Watson extracted a pair of blue nitrile gloves, thrusting his hands into them. "He's planning a hostile takeover."

While Watson took out his cell phone, beginning to take pictures of everything, Caitlyn wandered around the place, lifting up various pieces of dangerous looking equipment, examining them. It seemed obvious that this wasn't where Fiend had imprisoned her aunt or her friend and collating data and evidence wasn't going to help her find them.

That was odd. Hesitant, she turned over one of the grenades, noticing the button at the top wasn't fitted tight. For someone like Alden, she doubted he would leave anything unfinished unless someone had disturbed him. The place didn't look disturbed. It looked as though everything were in place.